FEATURED ARTICLES ABOUT CYRUS MISTRY - PAGE 5

MUMBAI: The 18-month search for Ratan Tata's successor may have come to an end, but it has thrown up some interesting insights into how large Indian corporations manage succession and protect their values. The choice of Cyrus Mistry's name to succeed Ratan Tata wasn't obvious, but it wasn't a complete surprise either. On the face of it, Tata's decision may appear somewhat predictable for a family-led Indian conglomerate. And we will not know in a hurry what really settled the issue even as the search committee pursued its mandate with a sense of urgency.

MUMBAI: The $100-billion salt-to-software Tata Group is stepping up its engagement with Chinese banks and companies. As JLR's new JV in China gathers momentum, the senior leadership is visiting the Chinese capital as part of a strategic review of operations in the world's second largest economy. Chairman Emeritus Ratan Tata along with his successor Cyrus Mistry , who are in Beijing, met senior bankers and government officials in China on Thursday, said multiple officials in the know.

MUMBAI: Cyrus Mistry will take over at the helm of the diversified Tata Group at a very critical juncture . Not only he will have to follow the footsteps of a legend, he also has to navigate in a "reset" world, management gurus said. Unlike his predecessor, Ratan Tata , who took charge as chairman of the group in 1991, when India was liberalising its economy — which meant a lot many growth opportunities — Mistry's innings come at a time when growth is witnessing a slowdown in developed economies.

NEW DELHI: Calling for a culture of openness and pooling of resources across companies, Tata Group Chairman Cyrus Mistry has asked firms of the conglomerate to focus on innovation and remain agile to succeed in an uncertain and volatile environment. In an year-end letter to employees, Mistry, who has completed a year at the helm of the group, said that after realising the distinctiveness of every Tata enterprise, "each needs to be viewed in a manner that is appreciative of its uniqueness".

Not so happy numbers The group has diversified into more than 100 businesses. Obviously, there are business challenges to confront. And that will be partly influenced by how India will evolve. Takeaway Profits are too little for a globalised company, and for one that operates in so many sectors. Majority of firms contribute little towards revenues. For comparison, take Apple's market value — it is around $350 billion. Tata's is $74 billion.

From his sober pictures, you'd think he'd just been named Policeman of the Month or maybe had the inside track to assistant trade commissioner, not crown prince of one of the world's most powerful businesses. Oddly for this video-hungry era, Cyrus Mistry , 43, is still just a mug shot and a short written statement to almost everyone in the world who has followed the story of his appointment as chairman-elect of Tata Sons, the controlling parent of the Tata group. Most of the colour to the story has been added by his father-in-law, the lawyer Iqbal Chagla, who described him as having "a very old head on young shoulders".

His (Jamsetji Tata's) passion stemmed from a deep desire to change his part of the world... The same level of passion was also evident in JRD Tata, who found a way to merge his love for flying with his family's growing enterprise... (Ratan Tata) was passionate about his work, reliant on his capable staff... Cyrus Mistry is also passionate and has begun making hard decisions about how to improve performance of some of the Tata units The Greatest Company in the World? The Story of Tata ICasey, distils over a century of leadership at the Tata group in one crisp chapter that attempts to glean what is it that made — and makes — these four generations tick.

Tata Group Chairman, Ratan Tata's successor, Cyrus Mistry, is likely to continue to be involved in the operations of his family-owned construction and real estate conglomerate, Shapoorji Pallonji & Co Limited till March 31st 2012, a senior executive at the firm said on condition of anonymity. The move is aimed at facilitating a smooth transition to his elder brother Shapoor Mistry, who is likely to take charge of the entire operations of the group in the next fiscal.

MUMBAI: Tata Group chairman Cyrus Mistry today met the Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis here to discuss the group's CSR initiatives in education sector in Maharashtra. Mistry informed Fadnavis about the Tata group's initiative in education of a crore children in Maharashtra and suggested that the state government should be part of the initiative, an official release here said. Fadnavis assured Mistry that the government will definitely be associated with the project and extend necessary help, it added.

KC Mehra , resident director of the Shapoorji Pallonji Group who was with the Tata Group for 41 years before retiring as deputy MD of Tata Steel, has known Cyrus Mistry for over two decades. He worked closely with Mistry during his Tata days and has also had him as a boss for the last eight years. Mehra talks to Rakhi Mazumdar of ET about Mistry's appointment as the successor of Ratan Tata: We understand that you have worked with Cyrus Mistry for a long time, both during your Tata Steel days and also in the Shapoorji Pallonji Group.